Antonio Smith’s appeal denied

Posted by Josh Alper on August 23, 2013, 12:14 PM EDT

AP

The next time Texans defensive end Antonio Smith plays in a game, it will be the second week of the regular season.

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports that the NFL has denied Smith’s appeal of the suspension he earned for swinging Dolphins guard Richie Incognito’s helmet in Incognito’s direction after ripping it off of Incognito’s head during an altercation in a preseason game between the teams last weekend. PFT has confirmed that the appeal was denied, and PFT has learned that the hearing officer was Ted Cottrell.

Smith was suspended for the two remaining preseason games and Week One of the regular season earlier this week. Smith will be able to attend team meetings for the remainder of the preseason, but he won’t be allowed to practice with the team until the suspension comes to an end. Smith won’t count against the team’s 53-man roster limit when they make their cuts later this month.

Jared Crick and Tim Jamison are the likeliest replacements for Smith on the defensive line until his suspension comes to an end.

It seems odd that the NFL suspends Smith one regular season game because he rips the helmet off a guy after the whistle, and he then swung the helmet to the face of the player.
Yet, the NFL suspends Von Miller 4 + 2 games for smoking weed (probably the case) in a state where it is legal to use it.
It doesn’t seem logical or fair.
Wanton and deliberate violence which would cause significant damage to Incognito’s HEAD renders a single game suspension.

@ blackstrat
My thoughts exactly… which act is more harmful to the game? Smoking pot or ripping the helmet off of a guy to use it as a weapon? It seems this world’s priorities and the NFL’s are out of whack. Smith should be out for the season in my opinion.

1) Denied because you cannot ever rip another players helmet off and swing it at him–contact or not. It is, in the least, a violation of the rule that demands all players must be helmeted while on the field of play. At most, it is an act of aggression wholly against the rules of good sportsmanship.

2) Denied because the appeal went to the same persons who handed out the penalty to begin with. You don’t think they going to run the risk of appearing weak, do you? They’d prefer not having to deal with appeals at all and would rather the players just take what meted out.

It’s not a bad penalty considering that Smith was swinging at a known trouble maker.

Somebody please explain to me why everybody hates the Texans. Because they are good? Antonio Smith is dirty, but that does not mean the whole team is. Why do ppl say the city of Houston is dirty is you have never been there? Texans are good, deal with it.

“Better yet, why not call us back when you know, you get to a win a Super Bowl. Just another ringless joke of a franchise wannabe troll.”

LOL When was the last time the Dolphins were even in a Super Bowl, let alone won one? Were you even alive yet? It’s been longer than the Texans have been in existence, that’s for sure. At least the Texans are on the right track, while the Dolphins continue to wallow in mediocrity.